Heel building machine



Filed 001;. 27, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. l2, F. A. ElcH ETAL 2,357,813

HEEEL ,BUILDING MACHINE Filed oct. 27, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 12, 1944. F. A. EICH ET AL 2,357,813

HEEL BUILDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 27, 1941 e Sheets-Sheet a Sept, 12, 1944-.

F. A. EICH ETAL HEEL BUILDIQNG MACHINE Filed Oct. 2'7, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet.4

F. A. EICH ET AL HEEL BUILDING MACHINE Sept. 12; 1944.

' 6 Sheds-Sheet -5 Filed Oct. 2'7, 1941 F :l'Z:

l ll l l l l l ll Z76 MAE/ 705, Mm u w Qwfim Sept. 12, 1944, cH HAL 2,357,813

' HEEL'BUILDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 27. 1941 e Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE HEEL BUILDING MACHINE Frank A. Eich, Melrose, and Napoleon A. Monfils,

Haverhill, Mass, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. 'J., a corpo- I ration of New Jersey 12 Claims.

This invention relates to heel building machines, and is herein illustrated and described as embodied in a machin including forms in which pasted heel lifts are assembled by hand or otherwise, after which the assembly of lifts is placed under pressure which is maintained until the paste has set suficiently to prevent the lifts from becoming separated. from each other.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved machine. of this type, the use of which will insure the accurate production of heels of uniformly high quality rapidly, economically, and efficiently, with a minimum amount of effort and skill on the part of the operator.

With this in view, the illustrated machine embodies a plurality of heel assembling forms mounted upon a rotary table or other movable carrier in such a manner that each form may be moved to and from a lift assembling station, and to and from a Dressing station. At the pressing station pressure is applied, preferably automatically, by a fluid pressure omrated ramcapable of exerting very heavy pressure which, when the proper kind of quick setting paste is used, causes the component lifts of the heel to become thoroughly and firmly stuck together in a very short period of time. The various mechanisms of the machine are preferably power-operated, their operation being controlled by a treadle, a single depression of which permits the machine to go through one complete cycle of operation.

A feature contributing to accurate operation of the machine consists in the employment of interlocking means for so controlling the operation of the pressure ram and the movements of the heel forms that the ram cannot operate while the forms are moving, nor when no form isv in exact register with the ram.

Other novel and useful features are to be found in the arrangement of the means for supplying and controlling the supply of fluid under pressure to the heel pressing ram.

These and other features of improvement will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description-of an illustrative ing the mounting of the rotary table which carrie the heel forms; Y I

Fig. 4 is a plan View, partly in horizontal section, of the table controlling mechanism at the pressure applying station;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in front elevation, showing the heel loosening means for one of the heel forms;

Fig. 6 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the apparatus for controlling the application of hydraulic pressure and the positioning of the table;

Fig. '7 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a View in elevation of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6 with certain of the parts in different positions;

Fig. 9 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, upon the line IXIX of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig, 9, but showing the parts in different positions;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing the operation of the table locking mechanism; and

Fig. 12 is a view on an enlarged scale of a detail of the safety control for the hydraulic ram by which pressure is applied to an. assembled heel.

Referring now to the drawings, 2-0 indicates a base or column upon which the various operating mechanisms of the machine are mounted, the said base extending upward to provide. an overhanging bracket 22 for the support of a. hydraulic ram 24, which will be described in detail hereinafter. A motor 26 mounted upon the column 20 supplies power for rotating a movable, carrier, shown herein as a heel form supporting table 28, and for operating a pump 30 which creates fluid pressure in the hydraulic system. The pump has upon its shaft a pulley 32 which is driven by a belt 34 from a pulley 36 upon the motor shaft, and another pulley 38 also upon the motor shaft is connected by a belt 40 to a pulley 4.2 which drives conventional speed reducing gearing contained in a housing M. From this gearing arises a vertical shaft 45 carrying a small pulley 48 which isconnected by a belt 50 to a large pulley, 52.

. As best shown in Fig. 3, the pulley 52 has a threaded hub 54, screwed into a split bearing ring 56 which may be clamped to the hub by tightening a screw 58. The ring 56 rests up'on'a ball bearing 60 supported upon the machine base 2!] and surrounding a stationary post 62' which extends upward from the said base.

The table 28 has a downwardly extending hub I 54 secured by a set screw 66 to a sleeve 68' rotatable about the post '62 upon which it is journaled to rotate. The sleeve 68 is integral with a cam III, the base portion 12 of which rests upon a friction disk I4 interposed between the said base portion and the upper face of the pulley 52 In the operation of the elements just described, the pulley 52 is rotated continuousl by the motor 26 and the table 28, the weight of which is supported by the friction disk I4, will be rotated likewise about the upright post 62 unless it is forcibly held from turning, in which event the frictional driving connection between the pulley 52 and the table will slip, permitting the table to remain stationary while the pulley continues to rotate.

For the purpose of controlling the movements of the table 28 there is, on the underside of the table, an abutment I6 (see Figs. 1 to 4) to the end of which is aflixed a shock-absorbing pad I8 of leather or other suitable material. A stop latch 88 is arranged to be interposed in or removed from the path of movement of the abutment I6 which moves, with the rim of the table, in a circular path in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed from above.

The latch 88 is pivoted at 82 between ears 84 projecting horizontally from the upper end of a slide 86 which is guided for vertical movement upon the face of a stationary plate 88 secured to a shelf II'I upon the machine base 28. The slide 86 is maintained in sliding engagement with the plate 88 by gibs 98 (see Figs. 6 and 8) and a stud 92 screwed into the plate 88 serves to limit the movement of the slide 86 in a downward direction. A spring-pressed plunger 94 in the latch 88 tends to swing the latch into the vertical position illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 but when the upper end of the latch is struck by the pad I8 on the abutment I6 the latch can swing about its pivot 82 until a stop screw 96, threaded adjustably through the lower end of the latch, strikes the slide 86 whereupon the parts will be in the positions illustrated in Fig. 11 and the rotation of the table 28 will be positively stopped.

In order to prevent the table from rebounding when it is stopped by engagement of the pad I8 with the latch 88, a block 98 having the conformation shown in Fig. 4 is bolted securely to the outer face of the abutment I6 which is rigid with the table and a detent plunger I88 having an antifriction roll I82 in its outer end is arranged in a tube I84 containing a spring I86 for projecting the plunger to a position behind the end of the block 98.

ride over it easily until the block has passed the detent, which then moves in behind the block and prevents rebound of the table. For adjusting the tension of the spring I86 a screw I88 is provided and the adjustment may be such that the resistance of the detent to the movement of the block 98 past it will exert enough braking effect upon the table to almost stop its rotation, with the result that the impact of the abutment 16 against the stop latch 88 will not be very great. This structure is advantageous in that it provides for stopping the table very exactly, with a minimum of shock, at a point which can be determined accurately by adjustment of the stop screw 96 in the latch. The detent roll I82, pressing with considerable force against the inclined rear end of the block 68, holds the table abutment I6 firmly against the stop latch.

Mounted upon the table 28 is a suitable number (herein shown as two) of heel-assembling The forward portion. of the block is so shaped that the roll I82 will venient stationary part of the machine.

forms III) which are identical with each other and may be substantially like that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,238,988, granted April 22, 1941, upon an application by Fred Ashworth, to which patent reference may be had for a complete disclosure of the details of their construction. There is one abutment I6 on the under side of the table for each such form and in the bottom of each form is a vertically movable ejector pin II2 (see Fig. 5) which at a suitable point in the rotation of the table engages and rides up on a stationary cam II4 for the purpose of loosening a heel in the form sufficiently to permit it to be removed easily by the operator. The cam H4 is so positioned that the pin I I2 drops off it before the heel form reaches lift-assembling position.

In order to support the table 28 unyieldingly against the heavy downward pressure exerted by the hydraulic ram, a block H5 is provided on the under side of the table beneath each heel form, and the solid, stationary shelf II'I upon the machine column 28 is arranged directly beneath the ram. When a heel form is beneath the ram the corresponding block H5 rests squarely upon the shelf III which serves to sustain the pressure.

In order to release the table 28 from restraint by the latch 88 and to permit it to move a halfrevolution, durin which a heel form will be carried from assembling position to pressing position, operator controlled means is provided for lowering the slid-e 86 from the upper position shown in Figs. 6, 10 and 11 to the lower position shown in Figs. 8 and 9. When the slide is thus lowered the latch is moved below the level of the abutment I6 and the table is free to be rotated by the motor 26, through the friction drive I4, until the next abutment arrives in position to engage and be stopped by the latch which, in the meantime, will have returned to its upper position in a manner presently to be described. For the purpose of lowering the slide 86 and the latch 88 carried thereby a stud H6, screwed into the slide and extending through a slot H8 in the plate 88, is engaged in a slot I28 in a lever I22 which is movable about a stationary pivot I24 and is normally drawn downward by a spring I26 anchored to any con- When the table is held stationary by the latch 89 the latch and the slide 86 are held in their upper position, against the tension of the spring I26, by a slidable pin I28 guided for horizontal reciprocating movement in a stationary supporting sleeve I38 afiixed to one of the gibs 98 (see Figs. 6 and '7) The pin I28 passes through an aperture I32 in the lower arm of the latch 88 when the pin is in latch-supporting position but the pin is connected by a link I34 to an upright arm I36 rigid with a treadle bar I38 by depression of which the pin may be withdrawn from the aperture in the latch, permitting the latch and the slide 86 to descend and release the table. As soon as the latch has moved downward even a very small amount releasing the treadle will not affect the further operation of the mechanism since the aperture in the latch is no longer in alinement with the pin I28 and, therefore, the pin cannot re-enter the aperture, although a spring I48 beneath the treadle and a spring I42 acting upon the arm I36 both tend to move the arm and the pin I28 rearward.

In order that the latch 88 may again be elevated to stop rotation of the table at the proper time the lever I22 is raised by the cam 16, which rotates with the table and engages a cam roll I44 mounted in the end of the lever. When the lever i raised by the cam 16 the slide 86 rises until the tip of the pin I28, which is beveled as shown at I46 (Figs. 6, and '7), engages the beveled walls I48 of an arcuate slot I56 in the latch 86, said slot being concentric with the pivot 82 and terminating in the aperture I32. The part are shown in this position in Fig. and itis not until the latch is struck by the next abutment 16 on the table and swung to the position shown in Fig. 11 that the pin I28 can re-enter the aperture I32, to permit the treadle bar I38 to rise and the arm I36 to move rearward.

I The purpose of thus preventing the treadle from rising while the table is moving is to prevent the hydraulic ram 24 from descending during that time and this is accomplished by con-.

necting the upright treadle arm I36 by a link I 52 to the piston I54 of a hydraulic control valve I'56 which controls the flow of fluid to and from the ram. Fluid under pressure is conducted to the valve I56 by a pipe I58 which enters the valve cylinder through an inlet port I66. From the valve cylinder the fluid passes out through an outlet port I62 and through a pipe I64 (Figs 1 and 6) into the top of a stationary hollow piston I66 which is bolted to the overhanging bracket portion 22 of the machine collar. The stationary piston I66 is surrounded by a vertically movable cylinder I68 to the lower end of which is aflixed the ram 24 which carries a heel-pressing die I16. The interior of the hollow piston and the interior of the cylinder are in communication with each other. The weight of the cylinder I68 is sustained, and the cylinder is normally drawn upward, by springs I12 but when fluid under pressure is admitted to the hollow piston the cylinder and pressure ram descend and apply pressure to the assembly of heel lifts beneath.

V In order to dispose of any fluid which may leak past the piston I66 an annular chamber I69 which is formed in the upper end of the cylinder I68 is connected by a flexible hose I1I (Fig. 1) to a drain pipe I13 by which the fluid is returned to the fluid supply tank I86.

Referring again to Fig. 6, the piston I54 in'the valve I56 has a reduced portion I14 which permits passage of fluid from the pipe I58 to the pipe I64 through the valve when the piston is in the left-hand positionshown. When, however, the piston is moved toward the right, to the position indicated in dotted lines, the passage between the ports I66 and I62 is closed and the port I62 is connected to an exhaust port I16 from which a fluid discharge pipe I18 leads into the fluid supply tank I86. The springs I12 are thus permitted to lift the cylinder I68 and discharge roll I44 and the impact of the abutment 16 against the latch 86 has caused the latch to swing to the position shown in Fig. 11, in which position the aperture I32 is in line with the slidable pin I28. Under the influence of the springs I46 and I42 the pin passes through the aperture and the treadle arm I36 swings rearward to the position shown in Fig, 6, moving the valve piston I54 to the position shown in solid lines. This shift of the valve piston connects the pipe I58 to the pipe I64 via the passage around the reduced portion I14 of the valve piston and admits fluid under pressure to the ram, causing the latter to descend and apply heavy pressure to a pile of pasted lifts previously assembled in the heel form which is now beneath the ram. Thi heavy pressure is maintained until the treadle I38 is again depressed.

7 The motor driven pump 36 draws fluid from the supply tank l86'through a, pipe I 82 (Fig. 2) and delivers it through the pipe I 58 to the intake side of the valve I56. The pump, which runs continuously, delivers more fluid than is required and the fluid contained therein back through the pipe I64, through the valve I56 and out through the pipe I18. It is apparent that as long as the sliding pin I28 is held forward by the latch 86 and the treadle is thus held depressed the valve piston I54 is kept in such a position that no fluid under 7 7 stopped.

The stop screw 66 is so adjusted that the table will be stopped by the latch 86 with one of the heel forms I I6 accurately beneath the heel-pressing die I16 carriedby the ram 24. \At this time J the cam 16 has passed out from under the cam a conventional pressure release valve I84, connected to the pipe I58, which is set to open at the predetermined pressure which it i desired to maintain in the system, permits the excess fluid to escape through a pipe I86 back into the fluid supply tank I86. 'A pressure gage I88 connected by a pipe I96 to the supply pipe I 58 indicates the amount of pressure in the system.

In order to dispose of the fluid supplied by the pump 36 when the piston I54 is in the forward position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig, 6, at which time no pressure on the ram is required, and to avoid the use of the extra amount of power that would be needed to maintain pressure in the supply pipe I58, an open waste port I92 is provided in the rear end ofthe valve cylinder I56 to permit the fluid supplied by the pump to escape freely back into the fluid supply tank I86 through an open pipe I94. The. port I62 is, of course, closed by the head of the piston I54 when the piston is in its rearward position to permit fluid to flow to the ram.

In order to eliminate the possibility of the ram and the heel-pressing die I16 being forced down into an empty heel form; with the consequent I possibility of damage to the machine, a safety device is provided for automatically stopping admission of fluid to the ram when the ram has descended to'a predetermined point, regardless of whether or'not it encounters any resistance. For this purpose a shut-off valve I96 (Fig. l) is provided in the pipe I64. As shown, this is a gate valve of a conventional type which is opened and closed by a lever I68 upon which a spring 266 acts in a direction tending to close the valve. The valve is normally held open by an. L-shaped trigger 262 arranged to hook over a pin 264 projecting upward from the lever I68. The trigger 262 is pivotally mounted at 266 in a stationary bracket 268 and a spring 2I6 acting upon the tail of the trigger tends tohold its hooked end down around the pin 264. Secured to a lug 2I2, projecting from the side of the pressure cylinder I68, by a clamp 2 I4 is an upright; rod 2 I6 the upper end of which is bent at right angles to provide a tappet 2I8 which, when the cylinder has moved downward to a predetermined point, engages and trips the trigger 262, disengaging it from the pin 264 and permitting the valve I66 to close, which it does instantly. When this has occurred it is impossible for the cylinder I68 to move in either direction' until the valve I66-has been reopened by hand.

Although the various mechanisms and their operation have been described in detail, a brief recapitulation of the operation of the machine as a whole will now be given. The operator, standing in front of the machine at the lift assembling station, assembles a pile of pasted heel lifts in the form before him and then depresses the treadle I38, thus retracting the pin I28 and the valve piston I54. Fluid pressure upon the ram 24 is thus released, allowing the ram to rise and the latch 80 to descend, whereupon the table 28 turns one-half of a revolution, to carry the heel around to the pressing station beneath the ram. During the tim while the table was turning, the cam "In has caused the latch 80 to be raised and, the tip of the pin I28 having entered the'slot I50, the latch is supported in the path of the oncoming abutment so that it will stop the table when the heel form reaches the pressing station. Pressure of the abutment I6 against the latch alines the aperture I32 with the pin I28, permitting the treadle to rise and the valve piston I54 to move rearward to admit fluid under pressure to the ram, which descends to apply pressure to the freshly built heel.

The operator now proceeds to remove from the second heel form a previously pressed heel which has been loosened from. the form by the ejector pin I I2 when the latter passed over the cam I I4 and then repeats his performance of assembling a pile of pasted lifts in the form while the previously built heel is held under pressure beneath the hydraulic ram. Experience has shown that when a suitable adhesive is used and a sufficient amount of pressure is applied the time required for assembling the lifts of one heel allows sufficient pressure dwell for the previously built heel. Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

' I. In a heel building machine, the combination of a movable carrier, a plurality of heel assembling forms mounted in spaced relation on said carrier, means for moving the carrier to position one of said forms at a time at a single pressure applying station and simultaneously to position another form at a lift assembling station, and means at the pressure applying station for applying and maintaining pressure upon a heel in the first form for anydesired length of time while another heel is being assembled in the second form.

2. In a heel building machine, the combination of a rotary table, a pair of heel forms mounted in spaced relation on said table, means for rotating the table, means for locking the table against ro tation, means operative only when the table is locked for applying and maintaining pressure upon a heel in one of said forms while another heel is being assembled in the other form, and a single means for releasing the pressure and unlocking the table.

3. In a heel building machine, the combination of a heel form movable to and from a pressure applying station, a support for said heel form, a reciprocable pressure ram at said station, means for moving the ram toward the heel form to apply pressure to a heel therein, and means controlled by the heel form support for preventing the ram from moving toward the form when the form is not in register with the ram.

4. In a heel building machine, the combination of a plurality of heel building forms sequentially movable to and from a pressure applying station, a reciprocable pressure ram at said station, means for moving the heel forms, mean for moving the ram toward a heel form at the station to apply pressure to a heel therein, and means for preventing pressure applying movement of the ram except when a heel form is in register with the ram.

5. In a heel building machine, the combination of a rotary table, a plurality of heel building forms mounted on said table, a pressure ram, means for actuating the same, means for rotating the table, means for stopping the table with a heel form in register with the ram, and connections between the table stopping means and the ram actuating means adapted to prevent actuation of the ram unless the table is stopped.

6. In a heel building machine, the combination of a frictionally driven, rotary table, a plurality of heel forms mounted on the table, a pressure ram, means for actuating the same to apply pressure to a heel in one of the forms, a controller for the ram actuating means, a stop for holding the table with a heel form in register with the ram, and a single treadle operated means for actuating said controller and releasing said stop.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a movable carrier, a lurality of heel forms upon said carrier, a pivotally mounted apertured stop latch movable into the path of a portion of the carrier, a fluid pressure operated pressure ram cooperating with the heel forms successively, a valve for controlling admission of fluid under pressure to the ram, valve operating means, and a pin on said valve operating means cooperating with the aperture in the stop latch to correlate the operation of .the ram with the stoppage of the carrier.

8. In a heel building machine, a heel form movable to and from a pressure applying station, a fluid pressure operated pressure applying ram at said station, and means movable with the heel form for controlling the supply of fluid under pressure to the ram.

9. In a heel building machine, a heel form movable to and from a pressure applying station, a support for said heel form, a fluid pressure operated ram at said station, and means controlled by the heel form support for controlling the supply of fluid under pressure to the ram.

10. In a heel building machine, a heel form movable to and from a pressure applying station,

a fluid pressure operated pressure ram at said station, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the ram when the heel form is at said station, and means for preventing the supply of fluid to the ram when the heel form is not in register therewith.

11. In a heel building machine, a movable heel carrier, fluid pressure operated means for applying pressure to a heel upon the carrier, means for controlling the supply of fluid to said fluid pressur operated means, and means on the carrier for controlling the operation of the fluid supply controlling means.

.12. In a heel building machine, a heel form movable from a heel receiving station to a heel pressing station, a fluid pressure operated ram at said pressing station, means for controlling the supply of fluid to the ram, and mean movable with the heel form for controlling the operation of the fluid supply controlling means to supply fluid to the ram when the heel form reaches said pressing station.

FRANK A. EICH. NAPOLEON A. MONFILS. 

